Euphonium
The history of the euphonium begins in the early 18th century
when many string instruments had reached some state of
perfection but
most wind instruments were still in their infancy. A
fore-runner of
the euphonium family, the serpent, was used in military bands
as a
marching bass during this period. The serpent derived its name
from
its snake-like appearance and was originally used to support
the bass
part in church choirs. This ungainly instrument was
constructed of
wood, brass, or silver. It was played with a deep-cup
mouthpiece made
of bone or ivory and had six finger holes. Later models were more
elaborate and had several keys. Qualifications for playing the serpent
were good musicianship and an excellent sense of pitch as intonation
was a serious problem. The addition of extra keys in the 19th
century
probably led to a deterioration of playing because performers
falsely
assumed that these keys cured intonation problems. As a result
of this
deterioration in performance the serpent began receiving much
criticism from musicians and composers. Notably the
musicologist
Burney compared the serpent's tone quality in incompetent
hands to
that of a "great hungry or rather angry Essex calf."
In 1821 Halary, a French instrument maker patented a group of
keyed bugles including a bass member called the ophicleide. It
appeared much as a combination of the modern bassoon and
baritone
saxophone, and was played with a deep cup mouthpieces. The use
of keys
to cover tone holes allowed instrument makers to design
instruments
with better intonation and more power than the serpent. As
with the
serpent, the performer had to have an excellent ear and
flexible lips
to play in tune. The ophicleide was made in several keys and
sizes and
was used in the l9th century orchestra as well as in military
bands of
the time. Although the instrument had virtually disappeared
from the
military bands by the turn of the century, the instrument was
still sold in France in
1922.
During the second and third decades of the 19th century valve
mechanisms were developed which revolutionized instrument
design and
manufacture. In 1842, Adolph Sax established a wind instrument
factory
in Paris where he gained high regard as an inventor and
designer of
wind instruments. He developed a complete family of valved
brass
instruments from soprano to bass which are direct antecedents
of many
brass instruments used today. These instruments were developed
mainly
for use in the military band and revolutionized these units by
their
use developing into the famous brass bands of the United
Kingdom
today.
As these new instruments became available, composers began
writing for
them. In Germany Wagner established the tuba group by scoring
the
"Ring" for two tenor tubas, two bass tubas, and one contrabass
tuba.
The tenor tuba became popular with other composers (Strauss,
Holst,
and Ravel). This tenor tuba was essentially the same tenor
voiced
instrument as the tenor saxhorn developed in the military
band.
A problem in nomenclature appeared as different variations of
tenor
voiced instruments were developed. The tenor horn in England
was the
same instrument as the althorn in Germany and the alto (mi
flat) of
France. The tenor horn in Germany became the baritone in
England and
the baryton in France. The Baryton in Germany became the
euphonium in
England and the basse (si flat) in France. Although slight
variations
in construction were present all these instruments had
approximately
the same pitch and range. Because of our military tradition
(English)
we use the terms baritone and euphonium to describe the
instruments of
today.
Meredith Wilson brought the euphonium second-hand fame in the
title song from his "Music Man." The double-belled instrument
mentioned here does exist. Early in the 20th century this
novelty was
obtained by the addition of a small bell section to the main
euphonium. This small bell section was used for trombone like
effects
and was triggered by the use of an extra valve.
One of the most frequent questions among students and band
directors
is "What is the difference between the baritone horn and the
euphonium?" In England, brass bands and military bands have used
two
different instruments. The baritone horn is the smaller of the
two and
is pitched in Bb. Although similar in appearance to the
euphonium, the
baritone has a smaller bore and a brighter lighter tone
quality. The
euphonium is a larger bore instrument possessing a more
powerful and
richer tone quality. American instrument manufacturers have
endeavored
to combine the best qualities of the two instruments and the
result is
the baritone horn in general use in school bands today. These
instruments are satisfactory for many occasions but lack the
fullness
and richness of the larger bore euphonium.
Many times audiences have been misled by the program listing
of
"baritone soloist," confusing the instrument with the baritone
voice.
To avoid this confusion, the soloist should be listed as
"euphonium
soloist." Today in America the terms baritone horn and
euphonium have
become interchangeable regardless of the instrument used.
The addition of a 4th valve to the euphonium is very desirable
as it
not only expands the range of the instrument, but can be used
to
improve intonation and facilitate certain technical passages.
This 4th
valve, when depressed, lowers the fundamental pitch from Bb to
F. By
using the 4th valve in conjunction with the other 3 valves,
low notes
below the bass clef can be played with ease and intonation in
both the
lower and upper registers may be corrected.
The word euphonium Is derived from the Greek "euphonia"
meaning
"well-sounding," and true to its name, the outstanding quality
of the
euphonium is its deep, rich tone quality. Too often the
younger player
will overlook the tone aspect of playing while striving for a
flashy
technical performance. Care should be taken to develop the
proper
embouchure and breath support to sustain a deep, rich, lush,
smooth
tone quality. Hand in hand with the development of a beautiful
sound
is the training of the ear and lips to overcome natural
intonation
deficiencies. The technical aspects of performance should be
diligently worked out along with the tonal aspects so that the
soloist
may perform with ease the most demanding technical solo or
passage
while maintaining the rich quality of the more melodic parts.
Far too
many players devote themselves to one phase or the other while
what is
really needed is the well-rounded musician who is capable of
performing all styles of music.
In order to enhance the tone quality, vibrato is used in most
euphonium playing. Several methods of producing the vibrato
are used,
including diaphramic, throat and jaw vibrato, each named for
the
portion of anatomy used to produce it. The author prefers the
jaw
vibrato as it is usually a smoother, more controlled vibrato
and also
helps keep the embouchure from being too tight in younger
players.
Speed and depth of vibrato, subject to certain general
guidelines,
must be observed. Fine recordings are available not only of
euphonium
soloists, but of fine string soloists as well as vocalists.
These
recordings will help the student hear the different speeds and
styles
of vibrato. Different periods and styles of music dictate
different
types or speeds and depths of vibrato. A dramatic, fiery
declamation
would indicate a faster, narrower vibrato than a slow lyrical
passage
or a blues section. In some types of music, no vibrato is
desirable.
An average speed would be between 5 and 7 beats per second for
a
normal vibrato. Care should be taken to avoid the overdone,
wide
vibrato that distorts the tone. The vibrato should at all
times
enhance the musical effect and beautify the tone quality.
The euphonium in band literature has long been compared to its
counterpart In the orchestra, the cello. As most early band
literature
consisted of orchestral transcriptions, the comparison was
quite
appropriate. As the concert band gained popularity, the
euphonium soon
became recognized as a solo instrument of great expression and
a full
rich tone. Simone Mantia, the euphonium soloist with Sousa's
band,
became well known as did other soloists, including Arthur
Pryor,
trombone and Herbert L. Clarke, cornet. These men not only
performed
on their instruments, thrilling audiences all over the world,
but
composed and arranged solos for themselves. These solos
usually
contained a theme or popular song of the day with technical
and
melodic variations.
For the first part of this century, these audience-pleaser
type solos
were the only original euphonium literature available. The
serious
euphonium student was forced to borrow literature from other
wind and
string instruments and even vocal literature. This transcribed
literature offered a full range and variety of musical style
to help
develop the euphonium player in various styles and periods of
music.
In the past few decades several composers have been writing
original
literature for the euphonium. French publications have been
imported
written for the French counterpart of the euphonium, the
saxhorn.
Composers in colleges and universities have taken an interest
in
composing new music for this medium. It is the author's hope
that this
spark of interest will continue and grow. With this new
interest, a
new field of performance may be opening up to the accomplished
and
well-schooled euphonium player . . . that of a concert
recitalist.
So when people ask ''What do you play?" perhaps the best
answer is "I
play a brass instrument which has a rich, deep tone quality,
one which
has an important role in band music, and has an uncharted
potential as
a recital and concert instrument. I play the euphonium." The
members of the band that play baritone are as follows: Patrick Luciano
Wing Kwan